Monthly Archives: September 2015

Cheerleaders should be considered employees not independent contractors. New York State law makers agree, and now the issue is front and center for NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to respond.

New York State lawmakers make a great play for cheerleader’s work place rights. State Senator Diane Savino and Assemblywoman Nily Rozic, sent a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Wednesday advocating to the league to mandate all teams to give cheerleaders similar employment protections that most other stadium or league employees have.

The letter which was penned by law makers from seven other states in which the NFL operates said that Cheerleaders should be W2 employees, not 1099 independent contractors.

Former members of the New York Jet’s Flight Crew and Buffalo Jills have sued their former NFL teams alleging minimum wage violations. Cheerleaders have sued several NFL teams for labor violations, in several states. The Oakland Raiders settled suits brought by two former cheerleaders for $1.25 million after claiming they weren’t paid the minimum wage, had wages withheld and weren’t reimbursed for expenses.
Cheerleaders from three other teams, have filed similar suits.

Enough is enough, give cheerleaders a break, give them what they deserve – full employee status at the very least.

Governor Cuomo gave over 180,000 New Yorkers working at fast food restaurant a raise. The first minimum wage increase will go into effect on December 31, 2015 making the minimum in New York City rise to $10.50 and for all other counties in New York State to $9.75. Under Coumo’s plan the minimum wage in the city would then rise by $1.50 each year for the next three years, until it reaches $15.00 per hour at the end of 2018. For all other counties in New York state, the hourly wage would rise each year, reaching $15 on July 1, 2021.

The new minimum wage rules will apply to all workers in all chain fast-food restaurants with at least 30 locations. The law will apply to a fast food restaurants that serve food or drink at counters where customers pay before eating with the option of taking the food or drink out for consumption.

When New York acts the rest of the states will follow.

Vice President Joe Biden attended the September 10, 2015 announcement in Nw York City; Biden will work towards raising the federal minimum wage during his time left in office.